MONTEGO BAY, St James — THE St. James Parish Council will be embarking on a $17 million project to enclose the courtyard and car park at the Montego Bay Civic Centre located in the historic Sam Sharpe Square.

“This project forms part of the plan to improve the aesthetics and maintenance of the facility. We are not locking it up but putting in some control measures,” says Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Glendon Harris.

“The long-term proposal is to utilise the bistro and also have an established museum that will help to provide a relaxing atmosphere and lend to the transformation of downtown Montego Bay ,” he added.

Work is being funded by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) and will begin next week. The project is estimated to last for eight weeks and will see the use of galvanised metal to fence the courtyard and car park. The contractor of the project is Odel Allen Construction.

TEF’s Executive Director Clyde Harrison says his entity intends to do more to develop the Montego Bay Civic Centre.

“The fencing is for security purposes so that it is safer for users. The Civic Centre is a concept that speaks to creating a space for the arts in western Jamaica,” he explained. “The vision is to establish a museum in association with the Institute of Jamaica; an arts centre a bistro and a logo shop,” he added.

Harris said the recently named Montego Bay Arts Council — chaired by hotelier Josef Forstmayr — has the responsibility of developing and implementing the operations of the museum.